St. John's vs. Syracuse 1986 / Sunday N.Y. Times

That was a great read. I graduated SJU Law in 1986, so I recall it well. The heyday. Great memories. Hopefully the New BE will create new ones.
 
Well written. Anyone who was wasn't privileged to have been around back then should read this article. That game is probably among the greatest highlights in our BB history. The Rowan/Berry sequence most definitely is.
 
Hard to believe it was over 25 years ago.

I was at the game with my father, who passed away 12 years ago. Even though he didn't go to St. John's he was a Redmen fanatic. Use to wear his red cardigan sweater with the Indian logo on it just about every day during the winter.

My favorite Big East Championship victory and a great lifetime memory.
 
I was at that game....sitting in the student section.....Rowan's shot gave us our first lead of the game....after we won, 7th avenue became a sea of red and people were dancing and cheering all around the inside and outside of the garden.....best SJU memory for me....
 
I was in the 7th grade when this game took place. I can remember being on pins and needles throughout the entire game.

I just knew we were going to the Final Four. No one could have told me differently. Chuck Persons, Chris Morris, and Auburn had their say in those matters.
 
I was in the 7th grade when this game took place. I can remember being on pins and needles throughout the entire game.

I just knew we were going to the Final Four. No one could have told me differently. Chuck Persons, Chris Morris, and Auburn had their say in those matters.
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It was a great article but it is ancient history for the kids today. Did you read the part where Berry said he wanted to come to st johns because he had followed the team and players for some time? How many kids today want to come here? They all follow other schools. Schools that are winning
 
I was in the 7th grade when this game took place. I can remember being on pins and needles throughout the entire game.

I just knew we were going to the Final Four. No one could have told me differently. Chuck Persons, Chris Morris, and Auburn had their say in those matters.
Click to expand...

It was a great article but it is ancient history for the kids today. Did you read the part where Berry said he wanted to come to st johns because he had followed the team and players for some time? How many kids today want to come here? They all follow other schools. Schools that are winning
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Several kids want to come here. St. John's always lost some kids out of the city, if you're referring to those particular kids. Of course, the Johnnies would always get their share of city kids. Frankly, the landscape of NYC basketball isn't nearly the same, as it was back in the 80's.

Heck! The landscape isn't even the same from 10-15 years ago.
 
I was in the 3 rd row behind the basket where Rowan hit the shot. I never forget 7 th Ave after the game. The pepband was playing in the middle of the street.
 
I was there in the old "blue" seats with my best friend (from Catholic grammar school), Jimmy Friel. He went to Regis HS and on to Syracuse on a six year undergrad/law program --saved a year's tuition.

I went to Nazareth HS and SJU, undergrad and law.

He absolutely loved his Orangemen and I absolutely loved my Redmen. We had a friendly bet on the game. (We even bet a cigar on whether or not The Pearl would hit the font-end of the one and one free throws at the end. I won.)

I was absolutely thrilled beyond belief when Ron hit the shot, and The Truth blocked the shot. Wow. What a fabulous victory. One of the most thrilling wins I ever attended in person. No, THE most thrilling sporting event I ever attended in person, bar none.

Anyway, my memories of that night are vivid and beyond fond, made more so by Jimmy's early passing in 2001 from bacterial meningitis. I gave his eulogy and that night came up as did his love of the Orangemen. Years later when McNamara had that enormous run in the tourny, ended up in the 200's but sitting next to Kelly McNamara, Jerry's cousin. We had some good-natured fun. I gave her laminates with all of her cousin's exploits chronicled in pictures on the back pages of the tabloids. She got me a basketball autographed by Jerry and to present to Jimmy's kids, who are die hard Orange fans to this day. I sent a photo up to JB for him to sign and return to me for my best friend's kids, telling him briefly what it was for; I never heard anything back from him.

This NYT article managed to capture so much of that night and the BE when it was so fabulous.
 
Some wonderful stories of that night. I would have been there but was stuck attending my then girlfriend's Dad's b-day in NJ. I would have had hell to pay had I missed the party, which had been planned for months. In hindsight, it would have been worth every ounce of pain I would have had to endure. I had a friend VCR the game for me and leave it with my doorman so that when I returned from NJ I could watch it. I managed to avoid hearing the score. Got home about 1:00AM and stayed up till daybreak replaying the game, the shot and the block over and over. I still have it on VCR as well as many other great games from the 80's. Used to tape them when I would attend the game so that I could come home and re-watch them. Talk about "diehard". Speaking of CUSE, they praticed today at my duaghter's High School. She knew well enough not to let me know until after practice had long ended. Also on 90th and CPW saw a taxi with ad on top stating "Syracuse New York's College team". I hate them!
 
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